


The Surprise

by Parhelionsol



Series: Ask Me [3]
Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: Drug Addiction, F/F, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-11 04:03:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15964289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Parhelionsol/pseuds/Parhelionsol





	1. Red

Nicky looked like shit. She had her hair up in a messy bun - well, messier than usual - and hadn't changed her eye make-up since the morning before. Typically she would put herself together more for a shift at Red's restaurant, but she was having a bad day. A bad couple of days, really. She chewed the inside of her cheek and stared vehemently at the clock. The time between each slow tick felt longer with every second. Nicky swore it was mocking her, dragging out the time she would usually be on her smoke break. The sound of the door jingling, signaling a new customer, broke her away from her staring contest with the clock. Nicky took the customer's order and brought her a cup of coffee.

"Anything else?"

"Um, is this decaf?"

"Didn't you order coffee?"

"Yeah, but I don't want decaf."

Nicky huffed. "If you want regular it's gonna be a hot second. Machine's in a mood and takin' forever. Or, I can just crush up some speed and sprinkle that in your decaf. That'd do the trick, eh?"

The customer spluttered. Before she could respond, Red called her over.

"Nicky. Kitchen. Now."

Red looked pissed. Nicky hustled into the kitchen, ready for a lecture.

"Did I just hear you offer one of my customers drugs?"

"It was a joke! Obviously."

"It wasn't funny. And I've gotten six other complaints about you in the last hour alone. What's wrong with you today? You're sweaty and crabby and rude and you look like you spent last night strung out. I swear to God, Nicky, you better not be using."

Nicky had only had one relapse with her heroin addiction since high school. Thankfully Red took care of her and didn't fire her. Most bosses wouldn't put up with an addict through their recovery, but Red gave her a chance. Nicky had been like her daughter ever since. She had no intentions of breaking her promise to Red to stay clean, but she could see why Red would think she was using. She was a fucking mess, though nowhere near as much as when Red had found her in the alley years ago.

_August 2000_

"Oh God, Nicky!" Lorna moaned and Nicky pulled Lorna's hips down further so she could thrust deeper into her with her tongue.

"Nicole?"

Nicky thought she heard her name being called from the other room, but decided she must have been imagining things. Lorna clenched her legs tighter around Nicky's face and came with a loud groan.

"Nicole, is that you? Are you awake?"

"Shit." Nicky knew she wasn't imagining things this time. It seemed Lorna had finished just in time. "I'm not expecting Marka tonight. Shit, shit, shit." She leapt out of bed and threw her robe on quickly. "Stay here."

Nicky closed her door behind her and wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her robe before nearly bumping into Marka.

"Nicole, you are home."

"Marka. This is a surprise."

"Yes, well, some urgent business matters came up so I had to catch a red-eye. It's late, why are you still up?"

"No reason," Nicky lied.

"Regardless, you look well. You're still clean."

"Yes, mother."

Marka took a look around the kitchen and eyed Nicky's graduation photos and the invitation intended for Marka. She hadn't been home in months, and never saw it. "I see you graduated just fine."

"Yeah, with honors. I gave a speech too. You missed it."

"Yes, I am sorry about that dear." Nicky didn't believe her- she said the words without feeling. "You haven't told me when you start classes at NYU."

Nicky shifted her gaze. "About that. I'm not going."

"What do you mean you're not going?"

"I don't want to go to business school. I deferred. I'm going to take the year off, figure out if I even want to go to college. I already got a job, at a restaurant in Queens."

"Don't be ridiculous, Nicole. You have to go to college."

Nicky was saved for the moment by Lorna's arrival into the kitchen. She had gotten dressed and put herself together quite well.

"It's Lorna, right? What are you doing here so late? Aren't your parents worried about you?"

Nicky laughed at the irony of Marka assuming a parent kept track of her child's whereabouts when Marka did no such thing.

"Go back to bed, baby. I'll be right in."

"Stop right there. Back to bed?"

"Um, I've been meaning to tell you. Lorna's my girlfriend. I told her she could move in soon, actually."

Marka kept her face stony. "Not anymore. Lorna, I think you better leave."

"What the fuck? No! It's the middle of the night, you can't send her out to the street!"

"This is my house, Nicole."

"Nicky, it's fine, I'll go." Lorna grabbed her purse and headed to the door.

"Wait!" Nicky called. "Take a cab, please. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Nicky gave her cash and a peck on the cheek before rounding on Marka angrily.

"Don't even start! The last I checked, I pay the rent and all the bills for you to live here. You don't get to make the rules."

"And you don't get to throw my girlfriend on the street in the middle of the night! How could you do that to her?"

"Girlfriend. Please, Nicole, when are you going to grow up? It's time for you to move on from this teenage lesbian phase of yours and start acting like an adult."

Nicky shouldn't have been so surprised at Marka's ignorance, but she was.

"I'm serious. Tomorrow you're going to end things with that girl and re-enroll at NYU for the fall semester."

Nicky shook her head disbelievingly.

"If you want to keep living here, and if you want your trust fund, you will do as I say. Keep dating that girl and blowing off school- say goodbye to my money. You are an embarrassment."

Nicky didn't even respond. She stormed out of the apartment, with only her wallet and her robe, and took a cab to Lorna's. She threw rocks at Lorna's window hoping she wouldn't wake anyone else. Lorna met her outside and gasped.

"What are you doing here? In only your robe?"

"Uhh, Marka's kicking me out," Nicky stammered, on the verge of tears. "Do you have something I could wear? I know I can't stay here."

"Yes, let's go inside and get you some clothes. And you are absolutely staying here tonight."

They made their way quietly into Lorna's room. She tossed Nicky a t-shirt and got into bed. "Here, you can sleep in this. Now come here."

Nicky crawled into bed next to her and trembled.

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

Nicky shook her head and let her tears run free, unable to get any words out. Lorna wrapped her arms around her and rocked her softly. "Shh. Let it out, Nicky. It's going to be okay." She liked to play tough, but with Lorna she could let her emotions go. For the second time in their relationship, Nicky cried herself to sleep in Lorna's arms.

They overslept. Lorna woke to the sound of Franny's horrified scream. "Daddy!"

"Shh- Franny! Shut up!"

It was too late. Lorna's father had come to investigate, and Lorna tried fruitlessly to hide the fact that she had a half-dressed girl tangled in bed with her. Nicky frantically tried to cover herself but to no avail. How did the two of them manage to accidentally inform both their parents about their relationship in less than a day?

"Get downstairs, Lorna. Right now."

Nicky changed into some of Lorna's clothes, listening to the argument happening below. She knew she shouldn't have stayed here. She left Lorna a note that she would call her later that day. She tiptoed down the stairs, snuck out the back door, and made her way to Queens for work.

On her break, the owner of the restaurant, Red, let her use the phone to call Lorna.

"Hello?"

"Baby, it's me. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lorna sniffled a little. "My dad's really pissed though. I told him about us, and how your mother kicked you out. He said he doesn't want to see you around here again or he'll throw me out too."

"I'm so sorry. I should never have come over."

"Of course you should have. Where else were you supposed to go? What are you going to do about tonight?"

"I don't know yet. I, uh, I gotta get back to work, Lorna. I'm gonna figure something out though - don't worry about me, okay? I love you."

"I love you too."

When Nicky finished her shift, it was late. She still had no idea where she was going to sleep that night. She ended up at a shady bar, smoking and drinking whiskey sours alone in a booth at the back and trying not to cry. Someone sat down across from her. Nicky glanced up and groaned. It was her ex-dealer.

"I thought I told you I was done with that shit and to stay away from me."

"I remember. I didn't go looking for you, did I? I just saw you in here. You look like you could use a pick-me-up."

Nicky looked away and bit her lip. Her dealer reached across the table, opened her free hand, and slipped a baggie inside her palm. Nicky refused to look at her.

"This one's on me, okay? Come find me when you're ready to be a regular customer again."

Nicky squeezed the baggie tight inside her palm, and her eyes burned with tears that she refused to let fall. She downed the rest of her drink, put out her cigarette, left enough cash on the table to settle her bill, and left the bar. She couldn't go home, she couldn't see her girlfriend, and her own mother despised her. She was at her lowest low, and only her best girlfriend heroin could make her feel better right now. She couldn't say why she chose the alley she did, or whether she took too much intentionally or not, but she overdosed in the middle of the night right outside Red's restaurant.

Red found her when she was taking out the trash early the next morning. She had her husband and sons bring her upstairs, and rummaged in her medicine cabinet for naloxone. This wasn't the first junkie she had found in the alley. Nicky came to and Red deemed her well enough to avoid a trip to the ER. She took care of her through recovery of the overdose and for the next week during her detox.

When Nicky had recovered enough, Red called her mother and cursed her out for treating her own daughter so poorly. She made some threats, and Nicky was allowed at home again. Red saved her that night. Nicky vowed she would never betray her.

_Present Day_

"No! I swear, I'm clean."

Red clicked her tongue. "Go take your smoke break. You're overdue for one, yes?"

"Actually, that's exactly why I'm so crabby, which I am sorry about. I'm quitting, ma. You proud of me? I haven't had a cigarette in-" Nicky checked the clock, "46 hours and 12 minutes."

Red smacked the backside of her head.

"Ow! What the fuck, ma? I already got a headache."

"You shouldn't quit smoking cold turkey. What do you smoke right now, a pack a day? You need to wean yourself off them slowly. Smoke one less every day. Wear patches, chew the gum. Go to therapy."

"But ma, I'm trying to quit before Lorna gets back. She's on vacation with her sister for the long weekend and when she gets back I wanna surprise her."

Nicky knew how much Lorna hated her smoking habit. She spent more time chain-smoking than could be considered healthy, not that any smoking could be considered healthy really. She honestly didn't care very much about the effects on her own body, but it bothered her deeply to know that Lorna was exposed to the health problems that accompany so much second-hand smoke exposure.

"The withdrawal makes you irritable. It would be better if you took your time."

"I made it this long, haven't I? The withdrawal should start subsiding after another day or so."

"Okay. Well you've got just under two hours left of your shift but you're not working the front until you get it together. You're on dish duty, go."

Washing the dishes was actually a cathartic task for Nicky. The scalding water distracted her nerves from the itch for nicotine, and she got an odd satisfaction from making the dishes look spotless. When Nicky got off work she might have had slight first-degree burns on her hands, but she actually felt calmer.

When Nicky got back to her apartment and settled in her bedroom, her anxiety started to rise again. She couldn't sit on the daybed under her window, that was where she liked to chain-smoke in her free time. She contemplated taking a bath to relax her a little, but she usually smoked when she did that too. It was too early for bed, but Nicky crawled under her covers anyway. If the nausea from the withdrawal weren't so strong, it would actually be dinnertime. Nicky shook her foot anxiously and tried to get comfortable. It was useless. Insomnia aside, even her pillowcases smelled like smoke.

Nicky threw off her sheets and went into the kitchen to make herself a drink. No sooner had she poured herself a glass of whiskey before she tossed it down the drain. What was she thinking? She always smoked when she drank, and she didn't need her inhibitions lowered or any excuses for making it this far and then caving. Nicky picked up the phone. She dialed quickly and tapped her foot impatiently as the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Chapman, hey. Can you put Vause on?"

"Sure, just a second. ALEX! It's Nichols!"

Nicky cringed; Piper had yelled right into the receiver.

"What's up?"

"Vause. Please tell me you're not doing anything for the next 24 hours."

"Actually, I'm completely free. What's going on?"

Nicky let out a shaky breath. "It's rough times over here. I'm in a bad way. I could really use some company." This was hard for Nicky to admit, but she knew Alex wouldn't judge her or give her a hard time. She was a good friend.

"Shit. I'm coming over. Sit tight, okay?"

Nicky hung up the phone and tried to do as she was told. It was going to be a long night.


	2. Alex

Nicky paced around her apartment until she heard knocking on her door.

She let Alex inside and already felt a little better knowing she had someone she could trust looking out for her. Alex grabbed Nicky's face with both hands and looked her seriously in the eyes. "You look like shit. What's going on?"

"Oh you know, I just got a solid combination of nausea and headache going with a nice side of depression. Typical detox shit."

"What the fuck - detoxing? From what? Did you start using again?"

"Ehh, don't worry, Vause. I quit smoking two days ago. Believe me, if I were coming down from heroin right now I'd be in a lot worse shape."

"Why the fuck did you quit cold turkey? You're a mess."

"No shit. I wanna surprise Lorna, this long weekend was the perfect time to do it."

"Oh sure, do this when she's gone, so I can take care of you instead of Morello!" Alex laughed. "I don't know if I'm qualified for this Nichols."

"Sure you are. I don't need you to hold my hair or wipe my ass, alright? Just distract me for the next day or so until the worst part of the withdrawal is over."

"Alright, I can do that. I could actually use some distraction myself. Polly and her boyfriend broke up last week and she's been sleeping on our couch. She's driving me crazy. I told Piper she has a few more days and then she has to kick her the fuck out."

"Perfect. Come on in, make yourself at home."

Alex put her overnight bag in the guest room - what used to be Marka's room - and Nicky made them each a cup of coffee. They sat together at the kitchen table and discussed how to keep Nicky's mind off cigarettes for awhile.

"How did you deal in the past? When you went through heroin withdrawal? Or what helped you cope before you even started using heroin?"

Nicky shook her head. "I already thought about that. Before I started using, I would cut myself. Not exactly a viable option, pretty sure my shrink would have me committed if I even considered it. I almost called her, actually, to see if she would up my anti-depressants. Then I remembered she's on vacation for the long weekend too. This fucking holiday."

"Yeah, don't fucking cut yourself, Nichols. Pretty sure smoking is healthier than cutting yourself. Jesus. Alright, and what about the last time you were going through withdrawal?"

Nicky smirked at her. "Fucking. I fucked my way through half the girls in our school, whether they were gay or not. You should remember that, eh Vause?" Nicky said with a wink. They haven't slept together in years, but Nicky knows Alex hasn't forgotten how they used to spend their time together.

"That better not be why you called me over here."

"Fuck no! I will admit, you were a great lay. But I would never cheat on Lorna. And as much as I think I could take Chapman in a fight, I have no interest in putting up with her wrath."

"Did you maybe think that a weekend when Morello was out of town was not the best time to quit?"

"Obviously I did not think this through. If I did my research right, I've got about 23 hours before the symptoms start to fade. And Lorna will be home the day after tomorrow. I gotta get through two nights without her and then I'm home free."

"Okay, so what are the rules? Like is there anything you're not allowed to do because it's a trigger? Or is there a safe-word we can use for you to tell me to cave and let you smoke?"

"No safe-word. I'd say it right now and regret it. So far, this entire fucking apartment has been a trigger for me. My bedroom smells like cigarettes, I used to smoke in the tub, smoke while I sat here with my coffee and crossword. Only thing I'll say is I probably shouldn't drink any alcohol."

"Got it. Maybe tomorrow we can clean up your place a little, air it out. That might help. But let's start with tonight. When's the last time you ate something? Or slept? Or-" Alex sniffed across the table and wrinkled her nose "-took a shower?"

Nicky grimaced. "What's it now, Saturday evening? Ehh, Thursday afternoon. For all of the above."

Alex walked around the table, pulled Nicky up by the back of her shirt, and walked her to the shower. "Okay first things first, take a shower. I'll order us some food. You got a taste for anything?"

"The only thing I got a taste for is off-limits. Or in Montauk with her sister."

Alex made a face. "Don't be gross. I'll just order us a pizza, yeah? Get in the shower."

The shower actually helped - a lot. Nicky hadn't realized until now, but her hair and skin still smelled of smoke. Washing the odor of toxins down the drain was very cleansing for her, and the steam helped alleviate her headache a bit. When she stepped out of the shower, she saw that Alex had laid out fresh clothes for her. She changed quickly and walked into her bedroom to find Alex putting clean sheets on her bed.

"Holy shit, Vause. Who knew you made such a great housewife? No wonder Chapman locked you down so quickly."

Alex narrowed her eyes but let that one go. "Pizza's in the kitchen. Then you need to get some sleep."

Nicky managed to eat half a slice of pizza before the nausea was too much for her. "I can't make any promises that sleeping will go so well, either. I'm completely on edge."

Nicky got in bed anyway, sweaty and shaky from nausea. The pounding in her head returned too. She always had a cigarette right before bed, and her body wasn't going to let her forget it. Alex sat next to her and stroked her hair, not knowing what to say. Really, there was nothing she could say.

"Alex," Nicky said hesitantly, her name feeling foreign on her tongue. They never used first names. "You can say no. Will you stay here with me?"

"Yeah, of course I will. I'll be right here."

Alex traced circles on Nicky's back until her breathing slowed and she finally fell asleep.

In the morning, Nicky was embarrassed. She got out of bed without waking Alex and put on a pot of coffee. Alex woke up anyway, and joined her in the kitchen.

"Hey, thanks for staying with me last night," Nicky said awkwardly. "Sorry if that was weird."

"No problem. Not weird at all." Nicky felt relieved. Alex started making her way around the apartment, turning on all the fans and opening all the windows. "So what do you want to do today?"

"I dunno, I thought maybe we should go to a spa? Get a massage and a facial or something? That shit's supposed to relax you right? Plus, I really need a manicure. If they'll even do one on me. Look at my fingernails!"

Nicky offered her hands for Alex to inspect. In all her anxiety over the last few days, she had bitten her nails down to stubs. Alex didn't even notice, looking instead at the burns covering her hands.

"What happened to your hands?!"

"Oh, uh, I kind of did that myself," Nicky admitted. "I let the water run too hot while I was doing the dishes at Ma's yesterday. The pain was distracting, calming."

Learning this inspired Alex. "We're not going to a spa. I have a better idea."

Alex refused to tell Nicky where they were going. Nicky was a little surprised when they arrived at their go-to tattoo parlor.

"We're getting tattoos. C'mon."

"What - why? That's not relaxing, Vause."

"Not for most people, but I'm pretty sure you're a little bit of a masochist. If you felt calm getting burned by scalding hot water, maybe the pain from a new tattoo will calm you too."

"That's actually pretty smart."

They went inside and their favorite tattoo artist, Daya, greeted them familiarly. Nicky had five tattoos from her already, and didn't trust anyone else to do her ink.

"Hey, good to see you ladies. What are we doing today?"

Nicky and Alex looked at each other and laughed.

"I have no idea," Nicky said. "Do you know what you want?"

"I've been thinking about getting a salt shaker over my shoulder. You know, for luck. What do you think?"

"Very wise, Vause. I like it. What should I get?"

"No way am I telling you what to get. Piper still pins her beauty fish tattoo on me and I had nothing to do with that. I refuse to inspire tattoos."

"Awhile back I was going to get a little L on the back of my neck for Lorna. Maybe I should do that, but it would be really small. Shouldn't I get something that will take awhile?"

"Yes, definitely."

"I like the idea of doing something for Lorna, though. After all, this weekend is about surprising her."

"How about a cherry tree?" Daya suggested. "Isn't she always saying that Morello means cherry?"

"I love it. What do you think, across my shoulder blades?"

"That'll look really good. Are you thinking color or just black? Alex's tattoo won't take too long, but if you want color in your tree it's gonna be a couple sessions."

"Black is my signature," Nicky decided. "Plus, I'd like it done today."

By the time Daya finished with them it was evening, and they departed the parlor with their new tattoos.

"I can't wait to show Piper. She's gonna laugh at me, she's not superstitious at all. You gonna be okay on your own tonight?"

"Yeah, I think so. This was a really good idea. I feel better. Plus, Lorna will be home in the morning. I don't want any cliterference by having you over."

Alex laughed. "Okay, but I'm calling you tomorrow to check on you. Also, you and Morello should come over. Distract me from Polly. The bitch refers to me as Supercunt - in front of my face! How am I supposed to put up with that?"

"The things we do for love, huh Vause? I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for everything, seriously."

Nicky walked home instead of taking a cab. It was a far walk, but the late summer breeze felt nice on her skin and she loved the city at night. The thought of surprising Lorna tomorrow excited her, and when she got home she was so tired from her walk that she was able to sleep through the night.


	3. Lorna

Nicky woke the next morning with her headache back in full swing but her nausea seemed much better. She wolfed down her breakfast, the first real meal she had eaten in days, and that helped her headache a little. While she waited for Lorna to get home, she scrubbed the apartment top to bottom, trying to rid the place of the lingering cigarette smell. Her heart raced when she heard keys in the door.

"Nicky, are you here? I'm home!"

Lorna had barely set her suitcase down before Nicky bounded down the hall and pounced on her eagerly in a hug that almost knocked her to the ground.

"Nicky! I missed you- I brought you some seashells, wanna see?"

"Show me later." Nicky almost growled the words out, fire in her eyes as she backed Lorna up against the wall and kissed her fiercely. Lorna kissed her back and ran her fingers up and down Nicky's arms.

Nicky moved her mouth to Lorna's ear and whispered, "I missed you too, baby. Let me show you how much."

Lorna groaned and Nicky nipped at her ear. Lorna clung her arms tightly around Nicky's shoulders and swung her legs so they were straddled around Nicky's hips. Nicky grabbed her ass to support her weight and carried her to the couch, never letting her lips leave Lorna's neck.

Nicky lay Lorna down on the couch and wedged one thigh between her legs. She rubbed herself against Lorna's hip and thought she might come in her pants here and now, fully dressed and pressing against each other desperately like they were horny teenagers again. The sensation stirred the memory of their first time together, and Nicky became even more aroused as she remembered how it had felt to have Lorna underneath her for the very first time, so many years ago.

_June 2000_

"Okay baby, if you could have anything in the world, what would it be?"

Lorna didn't answer with words right away, instead choosing to pull Nicky down and kiss her again.

"You, Nicky. I want you."

Nicky had never dreamt that Lorna could feel the same way about her. Hearing Lorna say she wanted her made her more turned on than she ever thought possible. Lorna kissed her again and squirmed underneath her as Nicky moved to kiss her neck. Nicky slipped her hand underneath her t-shirt and fondled her bare breast. Nicky was coming undone already, grinding against her shamelessly and not bothering to remove any of their clothing. If she were with anyone else, she would be embarrassed to be losing herself like this with just a little dry sex. Just knowing it was _Lorna_ underneath her had her so hot, she had wanted her so badly for so long, and it had been weeks since she'd gotten laid, and-

"Oh, Nicky!" Lorna gasped. "I think I'm gonna-oh!"

The moans Lorna uttered while coming were the last straw for Nicky. She lost all control, thrusting herself against Lorna's leg wildly and stifling the noise she made by biting Lorna's neck sharply as she came on top of her.

Nicky rolled off her and they both lay on their sides, facing each other while catching their breath. Nicky cradled Lorna's head with both of her hands and began planting gentle kisses across every inch of her face. She couldn't believe how she had just lost control completely like that. She had intended for Lorna's first orgasm to be softer, sweeter.

"Oh my god, Nicky, I didn't think it was like that."

"Me either, baby. Me either."

"But you've had - before -"

"Not like that, baby. Never like that."

Sure, Nicky had had sex before - a lot of sex - but being with Lorna somehow felt like her first real time, like none of the other times counted.

"No other girl could make me feel like you do, Lorna. When you asked me about sex before and said you thought it would feel romantic, I lied to you. Sex was never about romance for me until right now. You were right. This is how it's supposed to feel."

Lorna didn't know what to say, so she just smiled and stroked Nicky's hair.

"I love you, Lorna. I meant what I said earlier. I know I sort of lost it just now, but I really want to do this right. We can take it slow from here on out."

Lorna shook her head. "I've been thinking about this for a long time. I want to be with you, in every way. I love you too, Nicky, I'm just sorry it took me so long to tell you."

Nicky couldn't take it. Hearing that Lorna loved her back was enough to break her, and all the tears she had been holding back that evening released at once. Nicky sobbed and Lorna hugged her close, rubbing soothing circles on her back with one hand and running her fingers though Nicky's hair gently with the other. A few silent tears ran down Lorna's cheeks too; she had never seen Nicky so vulnerable before. "Shh, shh, it's okay, Nicky. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Before long Nicky cried herself to sleep, and Lorna held her tightly until the sun came up.

_Present Day_

They continued their frenzied make-out session on the couch. Nicky questioned why they didn't do this more often, usually preferring to take their time undressing each other and savoring their nude forms. But this, this animalistic grinding, was so underrated. Nicky didn't know why enjoying the delicious friction of dry sex was usually reserved for teenage virgins and couples attempting subtlety in public places. Both of them came uncontrollably, just like their first time, and Nicky muffled a sob against Lorna's shoulder. The sound she made was not missed by Lorna. Concerned, she moved so she could see Nicky's face and gasped to see tears streaking down her face.

"Nicky? Nicky, what's wrong?"

Wiping at her eyes, Nicky took a shaky breath and tried to calm herself down. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong, baby. It's just you. Just to feel you right now - I lost it. I missed you so much."

Lorna pulled her back down and played with her hair lovingly. "I missed you too." Lorna breathed in her hair. "You smell so good. I was only gone a few days, but I forgot how good you smell." Lorna breathed in again. "Actually, you smell really good. Like, different somehow."

Nicky sat up and grinned.

"The whole house smells different - like, really clean. Fresh. And your hair, it always smells like your cucumber shampoo but something's missing."

Nicky stuck her tongue out playfully. She loved watching Lorna figure this out.

"Come to think of it, you taste different too!" Lorna kissed her and licked inside her mouth, making Nicky giggle. "You taste almost like you normally do. You always taste like toothpaste, and coffee, and-" Lorna gasped. "Why don't you taste like cigarettes?"

Nicky grinned even wider. "I quit."

"You didn't! How is that possible? I wasn't gone that long!"

"I honestly don't know how I did it. I had some help. But I did it for you, baby."

Lorna frowned. "I didn't ask you to quit."

"I know. You would never. But I know you wanted me to. I wanted to surprise you."

"Uh, yeah, I'm surprised! And I'm so proud of you. I know that can't have been easy."

"Fuck no, easy. I had to call Vause over here to babysit me. We owe her, big time. I told her we would come over today and distract her from Polly, I guess she's driving her batshit."

"Later." Lorna rolled Nicky underneath her so their positions were swapped. She unbuttoned Nicky's blouse and kissed down her torso until she was licking above the waistband of her pants. "You deserve a prize for quitting. I wanna make you feel good. I wanna know if you taste different everywhere."

Nicky's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she whimpered, feeling wetness soak her panties. Lorna ripped her pants off quickly but then took her time with Nicky's panties. She grabbed the lacy undergarment with her teeth and pulled it down slowly. Nicky whined impatiently. When Lorna finished removing them, she kept her slow pace but got to work, licking Nicky's sweet spot up and down carefully before sucking her clit into her mouth. Nicky's hips bucked and Lorna plunged her tongue inside her, eager to lick and taste all of her.

Nicky clutched at Lorna's hair and hissed, barely able to speak. "What's the verdict?"

Lorna simply moaned her approval and kept lapping at her greedily. Nicky squirmed against her and groaned deeply before pulling away a little.

"Lorna, Lorna, wait." She was panting but determined to get the words out. "Turn around, baby. I wanna taste you too."

Lorna smiled wickedly. She took off her panties but left her skirt on and obliged Nicky's demand, turning around before resuming her task of pleasuring Nicky. Nicky pulled Lorna down to her mouth and pushed her skirt up, moaning against her center. As she got to work tasting her folds, she squeezed at Lorna's ass cheeks and let her fingers wander to her hole.

Lorna moaned with pleasure and thrust herself down on Nicky's tongue, riding her face while torturing Nicky's clit. Nicky wasn't going to last long. She was still tingling from her earlier orgasm, and she always came faster once she had already gotten going. She quivered at Lorna's every touch. Nicky tried to focus, tongue buried in one hole and fingers probing at the other, when she lost all concentration at the feeling of Lorna's fingers slamming inside her. One, two, three thrusts and a mean bite above her clit were all it took to leave Nicky shaking and screaming underneath her.

Lorna continued her ministrations, determined to pleasure her into a third orgasm. Just as Nicky came down from her second climax, she felt herself spasming around Lorna again. "Ahh - Lorna!" Nicky wailed into Lorna's cunt. To Nicky's relief, Lorna finally relented; she didn't think she could handle any more.

Lorna was close now, also still hot from their earlier make-out session, and pressed herself harder against Nicky's mouth. Nicky circled her clit with her thumb, slowly, and let her tongue wander from Lorna's folds up to the spot where her other fingers were working magic in Lorna's ass. She laved her tongue back and forth, starting slowly but picking up speed when she felt Lorna begin clenching around her fingers. Nicky pinched her clit with a sharp twist and Lorna was done for, whining loudly and writhing on her face.

Nicky helped her turn around before Lorna collapsed on top of her, still trembling and sweating. Lorna licked at her fingers, still slick with Nicky's arousal, and moaned. "You taste so  _good_ , Nicky."

"Not as good as you, baby." Nicky cleaned her own fingers too, relishing one more taste of Lorna on her tongue. "Holy shit, I'm exhausted. I needed that, though. I've been thinking about this moment basically since you left."

Lorna smiled at her and lay her head on Nicky's chest, closing her eyes. They both drifted off, sleeping peacefully until the harsh ring of the phone woke them.

"Ugh," Nicky groaned. "I bet it's Vause calling to check on me." She raced to the phone and answered it, "Hello?"

"Hey hey, how you doing?"

"Better. I slept all night, and Lorna's finally home."

"You sound better. I'm glad."

"What's the expression - a little ass-play every day keeps the doctor away?"

Alex laughed. "Yes, that's exactly it. Save the rest of your ass-play for later and come keep me company, yeah? Piper's at work and it would be nice if someone who didn't refer to me as Supercunt were here."

"Yeah, we'll come over. See you in a bit."

When Nicky hung up the phone, Lorna was already getting ready to take a shower. Nicky was still naked from the waist down but had yet to take off her top. When she removed her blouse, Lorna shrieked.

"What is  _that?!"_

"Oh, yeah," Nicky grinned. "Another surprise for you, I sorta forgot. It's a cherry tree - since Morello means cherry. Do you like it?"

Lorna's eyes welled with tears. "Oh, Nicky. I love it." She embraced her closely. "Thank you for everything you done for me this weekend. I can't believe it."

Nicky reflected on the pain of her withdrawal and all the crap she went through the last few days, but she had no regrets. Surprising Lorna definitely justified all her suffering, and she would do it all again in a heartbeat. Seeing the pride in Lorna's eyes and feeling her in her arms - yeah, the surprise was totally worth it.


End file.
